What Is Caulilini—And What the Heck Do I Do With It?

Cauliflower has had its superfood place in the sun for a while now. The high fiber, low-carb, veggie been made into steak substitutes, rice, pizza crusts, and even thrown into smoothies. But there’s a new brassica in town that could soon rival cauliflower’s fame. Caulilini—or “baby cauliflower”—is similar to broccolini (in fact, it’s actually produced and distributed by the same company, Mann’s.)

What Is Caulilini?

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Caulilini has long stems, like broccolini, but it’s “blonde” in color like cauliflower. (And, in case you’re wondering, it’s non-GMO and there are zero additives or preservatives.) Caulilini hails from the brassica family, which includes cruciferous veggies, cabbage, and mustard plants.

The entire veggie, from stem to florets, is edible. According to Mann’s website, it has “sweet, succulent flavor” and the “ ‘perfectly imperfect’ shape adds both flavor and texture to side dishes, crudité platters, or entrée builds."

Caulilini Nutrition

Each 3-ounce serving (about 3.5 pieces) has 20 calories, 4g carbs, 2g fiber, 2g of natural sugar, and 1g of protein. It also packs 25mg of calcium, 1mg of iron, and 203mg of potassium.

Rick Russo, vice president of sales, marketing, and product management at Mann’s said in a media release, “Caulilini™ is as striking on the plate as it is on the palate. It adds texture and high-end visual appeal to everything from veg-centric entrees to creative appetizers, and is already creating a lot of buzz with chefs.”

Last summer, caulilini was released exclusively to chefs in the food industry, but there are whispers it could be coming to grocery stores soon. In the meantime, we’ll be thinking of all the ways we can use it.